The DSCC raised $13.7 million over the past three months, its best first quarter ever and $6.9 million more than the NRSC. They say that $5.6 million of that came from grass-roots donors by mail, phone and online.

“We have a long way to go, but we are off to a very strong start,” said Guy Cecil, executive director of the DSCC, in a statement shared with POLITICO. “The cash advantage for Democratic candidates enabled us to hold our own against Republican third-party spending in 2012.

“With our high number of incumbents, their lack of candidates early in the cycle and the likelihood that they will have several divisive primaries, we expect that advantage to grow.”